The Legend of Zelda: Legacy of the Heroes
by ShiningMagneton
Summary: When a mysterious wizard with a dark agenda arrives in the land of Hyrule, it is up to an aspiring young Hylian knight named Link and his childhood friends to protect the continent from an invasion.
1. Prologue

I am going to relate to you a story. A story passed from the time of my grandfather's grandfather's time. A story of a great adventure across the land, and the heroes who undertook it to wipe the world of evil. It is a story of adventure, of romance, and of friendship between the four heroes.

Who am I, you may ask? That is a very, very good question. I am Sahasrahla V, descendant of Sahasrahla the Elder who aided the heroes on their journey. It is through him that I got the information about the quest that I am relaying to you now.

Our story starts several years before hand at the time of the Great War, around about two-hundred years ago. At this time, Hyrule was ruled by its greatest king, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule IV, known to his friends and enemies alike as "The King of Red Lions" for his great bravery and courage. During his reign, Hyrule reached its greatest extent, stretching from Labrynna in the west to the Great Sea in the south. It was an era of prosperity, and few would have guessed what was to come. For far in the West, in the depths of the great desert, a man was born into the Gerudo tribe, the first man in one-hundred years. They named him Ganondorf and proclaimed him king, and at a young age he was already mastering the arts of dark magic.

He was a great king for his people, giving them an era of greatness they never had, or indeed, will ever have again. In fact, some say he cared for his people to much, for why else he would do what he did?

Upon reaching manhood, Ganondorf heard about the land of Hyrule, with its great fields and lush forests. It seemed like a perfect location for the Gerudo, and he wished to bring his people there, out of the desert. But hidden away in his heart was another reason why he wanted Hyrule: The sacred treasure guarded for centuries, nay, millennia by the royal family, the Triforce!

Ah, the Triforce. If I relayed to you half the things I have heard about it, why, we would be here for ages! So I'll try to keep it brief. Legend has it the Triforce was what was leftover when the golden goddesses left for the heavens, taken in by Her Grace, the goddess Hylia. To this day it resides in the Sacred Realm, guarded by the royal family, waiting for someone pure of heart to claim it.

It is said that whoever lays their hand upon the Triforce will have their greatest wish granted, reflective of what they would in their heart. If someone dark of heart wished upon it, for example, to rule the world, the Triforce would give them a world to rule, a twisted, corrupted world. A Dark World. The king knew this fact, and warned the Gerudo king of what would happen. Ganondorf ignored the warning, and crafted an army of powerful soldiers to take Hyrule by force. Upon the vast Hyrule Field, Ganondorf and the king met for battle. It would be a great battle, and would last for months as neither side faltered in their lines. One day, two brothers, Shigeru and Satoshi, decided it was time to end the war, and led one final charge against the Prince of Darkness's army. It is here that our story starts…

"Shigeru, look out!" Satoshi hollered out over the pounding rain. It was hard to see anything, and Satoshi wanted to make sure his brother saw the large, lumbering Darknut behind him.

"I can hear it, brother; you don't need to warn me." Shigeru responded, jumping out of the way of the knight's colossal sword. Sword was an understatement; it was more like a bladed club. It crashed to the ground, creating a small shock-wave that almost knocked Shigeru off balance. He gripped his sword with both hands, but his brother could no longer see him.

"Shigeru, where are you?"

"I'm right here, brother." Shigeru stated, finding his brother on the other side of the knight. They stood back to back, the battle raging on all around them. The Hylian army was vastly outnumbered by Ganondorf's army of darkness. Whenever a Hylian soldier got lucky enough to destroy one of the Darknuts, at least two more come out of nowhere, as if created by dark magic. Their thick armor could withstand most blows, a strike barely even fazing the knights. It was also the last thing that soldier would ever do. It took both luck and skill to take one down.

"Ready?" Satoshi asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." His brother responded. Satoshi wasted no time, diving under the legs of the Darknut before it could react. He jabbed his sword in the small kink in the back of the knight's armor, a spot they had gotten all too used to. It was a small wonder that Ganondorf never fixed this weakness. Maybe he enjoys the battling, Shigeru thought, and fixing the weakness would make it even more one-sided. It mattered little, for the Darknut dissolved into a strange blue flame as it died, with no trace that it even existed left. Only the sword remained. The victory was short-lived; two more Darknuts appeared out of nowhere.

"They never give up, do they?" Shigeru asked.

A smirk grew on his brother's face. "And what, ruin our fun? I happen to enjoy this." Shigeru sighed, and drove his sword toward a Darknuts' neck. The unsuspecting knight fell quickly, but not before another arrived. It swung its sword straight at Shigeru without hesitation. The swordsman quickly stepped to the side, the Darknut's blade smashing into the ground. The knight didn't last much longer, Shigeru slipping behind the Darknut and impaling it in the back. The knight crumbled into dust and flame. Shigeru found himself facing his brother, two large swords lying on the ground behind him. No more Darknuts stood nearby.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Satoshi asked.

"You can say that again." Shigeru responded.

"That was fun, wasn…"

"I didn't mean literally."

Satoshi responded with a smirk, before letting out a quiet chuckle. "I realize that, I just like messing with you."

Shigeru sighed. He never quite figured out how his brother managed to stay so cheerful and lighthearted in the midst of war. Shigeru's cheerful side died at the beginning, when the first of his friends fell to a Darknut's blade. Satoshi was there that day. He tried to shake the thought from his mind.

He was about to remark on his brother's cheerful attitude when he caught something large out of the corner of his eye. The knight was even bigger then a Darknut, and wielded a hefty battle ax. It stood twice as large as Shigeru, its armor impenetrable to a common blade. "Satoshi…"

"Yes, brother?" Satoshi responded. Shigeru pointed in the direction of the knight. Satoshi took in the spectacle. "An Iron Knuckle. Well I'll be damned. I didn't expect Ganon to unleash his secret weapon on us so soon. Ready for a fight?" he asked.

"They never give up, do they?" Shigeru took a good, long look at the Iron Knuckle. The armor consisted of massive, intricately designed steel plated welded together by magic. The only weak parts were at the neck. The beastly knight wore a metal plate over its face, several large holes drilled into the plate. Shigeru had a gut feeling that nothing was under the mask.

The Iron Knuckle let out a bellowing roar, heaving the gigantic ax high above its head before slamming it into the ground. Mud splashed into Shigeru's eyes. As he struggled to wipe the mud off of his face, he narrowly avoided being decapitated by the Iron Knuckle. The knight had started flailing its ax around wildly, not really caring if it hit the brothers or not, before finally bringing it down diagonally. A hundred pounds of pure iron, embedded in the ground.

Shigeru leaped onto the wide open knight, his sword extended in front of him, driving it straight into the unprotected neck. The Iron Knuckle let out one last roar before collapsing to the ground, dissolving into harmless green flame.

"Well done." Satoshi took a good look around the battered plain. They were the last ones standing. "There doesn't seem to be any more. Do you think Ganon gave up?" he asked.

Shigeru also looked around. The grass had either been pounded down by the countless fights, or had been washed away in the torrential rain. Rivers of blood stained water flowed around the battle field, cascading down barren hillsides. The few surviving Hylian soldiers struggled back to the camp, supporting injured friends. The rest of the army lay on the ground. It was true; the last of the Darknuts had traveled, and had been taken down, by himself and his brother. Had they truly won the war that easily?

Shigeru took another look around. He had seen something out of the corner of his eye. A lone, dark figure stood upon a distant hill, seated on a large, black horse. In his hand was something that appeared to be a massive, three pronged fork. A trident. "Satoshi…" he whispered to his brother.

"I imagine he saw the fight we put up and retreated back to the desert. Not as much rain their, I imagine."

"Satoshi!" Shigeru said louder, grabbing his brother's arm. The dark figure had seemed to notice them, and was approaching. Quickly.

"What?" Shigeru pointed to the rapidly approaching figure. A soft, green glow materialized on the tip of the trident. Satoshi stood wide eyed, astonished. "Shigeru, run. He's found us. Get to the camp as fast as you can. Alert the king. I'll hold him off."

"Not by yourself, you're not. I'm standing here beside you." The green glow materialized into a ball, which was then thrown at the brothers. Without thinking, Satoshi knocked his brother to the ground and swung his sword just as the ball was about to reach him, sending it right back to the figure. "Go!" He yelled.

Shigeru looked into his brothers eyes, seeing the flames that burned within them. He hesitated slightly before leaping to his feet and rushing out towards the camp, only looking back once. Satoshi stood before the figure, a large, burly man. No, man was not a word for him. Monster was better. Ganondorf had arrived.

"My lord, the Gerudo king has arrived!" Shigeru had made it to the camp in five minuets flat, and rushed straight into the tent that served as the king's headquarters. King Daphnes was sitting at the head of a large banquet table. The only other man sitting there was a young boy from the Ordona province, barely the minimum age to fight. The boy, named Rusl, served as the king's adviser.

"Slow down, Shigeru. Where is your brother?"

"He's holding him off. I'm not sure how long he will last."

"This is troubling. Rusl, assemble the cavalry. Shigeru, you'll ride with me. You shall direct us. This war ends here!"

Within minuets the cavalry was assembled, led by the king himself. They rode across the bloodied plain as fast as their horses would allow. It was not fast enough. Shigeru, who was riding in front with the king, saw it happen. His brother was knocked to the ground, his sword splintered beside him, and the trident coming down towards his body, piercing the chain mail. It emerged covered in the blood of Satoshi. Then, Ganondorf vanished.

Hyrule won the war that day, for Ganon never returned. Many believed he had killed himself. Others believed he was just bidding his time, waiting for a perfect moment to strike an unsuspecting Hyrule. Whatever the reason, no Hylian saw a trace of the Gerudo king for the next sixteen years.

As for Satoshi, he lived just long enough for Shigeru to promise to raise his newborn child, and to protect his wife from harm. He soon died in his brothers arms. Shigeru kept the promise, raising Satoshi's son as if he were his own.

The child's name was Link.


	2. Chapter 1: Birth(day) of a New Adventure

Kakariko Village- Seventeen years after the Battle of Hyrule Field

The Cuccos woke the village early that morning, before the sun had even risen, bringing the whole village out of its deep sleep. Well, except for one. In a small, one room house on the edge of Kakarico, Link slept in. This, of course, was perfectly normal. It was a well known fact that the child of one of the wars greatest heroes never woke up on time.

His uncle, however, would have none of this. "Link, wake up." He said, shaking his young nephews' body in a desperate, if flawed, attempt to snap him out of his dream.

"Five more minuets." Link responded, still not fully awake.

"Sorry, not today. Don't you remember what today is?" No response from Link, who appeared to have fallen right back asleep. "Today is your birthday, remember? It's the day you head off to Castle Town."

Link shot out of bed at a speed Akos, the towns self proclaimed "Running Man," could only dream of mustering. How had he forgotten about that? Today he would start his training to become a knight, just like his father before him. He had been waiting for this moment all his life.

"Sorry, uncle. I completely forgot" He said, hoping his uncle wouldn't mind.

"It's fine. You have an hour to get ready. Then we leave. Be ready by then." Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Link said, hurrying to the door. Opening it revealed his friend, Koji.

Koji was a bit younger then Link, as well as quite a bit shorter. He had short, brown hair with matching eyes, with nowhere near as much muscle strength. He wore the normal Kakariko attire, and had a small, brown ocarina in his pocket. Playing it was the only thing he was good at, making him the laughing stock of the Kakariko males. He was often not called by his own name, instead being referred to as "Flute Boy." Koji never seemed to mind.

"Good morning, Link. And, uh, happy birthday." He said. Koji never was much of a talker.

"You're here early today."

"I've been up for a while. Couldn't sleep. Decided to come over before the Cuccos called." He looked at Link's still slightly groggy expression. "How long have you been up?"

"A little over a minuet. What can I help you with?"

"Um, well, I thought that since today's the day you head off to castle town, I would… actually we thought… actually it was mostly Malon's idea." Koji stammered. "We wanted to see you off the right way. Also, I think Malon wants to give you something."

Link sighed. Malon was his oldest friend, almost a sister to him. There was no way she would have let him go without saying goodbye. I should have expected this, he thought.

Koji looked around as if in a trance, preoccupied with a strange thought that went through his head. "Uh, Koji?" Link asked, confused with his friends sudden lack of attention.

"Right. Come along. It wouldn't be right to keep Malon waiting." Koji said, grabbing the sleeve of Link's shirt and breaking into a run. The duo ran down the dusty trail leading from Link's house around the village, soon leaving the house far behind.

Kakariko Village sat at one side of a large gorge carved out by Zora's River. The dusty trail led straight to this ravine, reaching a crossroads at a large wooden bridge spanning the ravine, which led right to the Lon Lon Ranch. Two other paths led into the village or across the rugged terrain to Hyrule Castle. The castles' blue spires peaked up from behind the hills.

Standing, or rather leaning on a signpost was Malon, illuminated by the orange glow of sunrise. Link had to admit she looked pretty in the dull glow, which complimented her flame red hair. She was humming a familiar song, one which Link knew well.

"Good morning, Malon." Koji said, attracting her attention.

Malon barely seemed to notice Koji, instead turning her full attention towards Link. "Happy birthday" She said, wrapping her arms around him. When she finally let go, she spoke. "So when are you leaving?" she asked.

"Soon," Link responded. "My uncle said I had an hour." Link could see tears forming in his friends eyes. "Don't worry. I'll come back."

"I'm not worrying. It's just we have been through so much together, had so many adventures. Remember the fish?" she asked.

"How could I forget?" Link remembered the incident fondly. They had been fishing in Zora's River several years back when a large fish stole his fishing pole. Later, the same fish leapt out of the river and spit the fishing pole back. It scared me, he thought, but Malon would never stop from ridiculing me about it. I bet it would be different if it happened to her. A faint smile grew on his face.

"Anyway, it's just sad to think that all of our adventures are over. I'll be stuck on the farm while you're out, slaying monsters or whatever it is that knights do."

"I'll still be here." Koji said helpfully, aware that Malon continued to ignore him, and that she would always ignore him.

"I have something for you. A gift." Malon said, pulling a small package out from, well, seemingly nowhere. Nowhere on her was a spot to hide something. Link had a few ideas. None of them where great.

Link opened the box. Inside was a small, brown ocarina, similar to the one Koji owned. "It was all my idea." Malon tried to say, though it was rather obvious it was a blatant lie.

"Actually, it was my idea." Koji corrected. "Malon helped make it, however it still was mostly my work."

"Shut up Koji" Malon said quickly, and under her breath, hoping Link didn't hear her. Koji smiled. Malon acknowledged my existence! He said to himself. That almost never happened, unless the subject was about Link.

"Thanks." Link said, holding back a laugh. He slipped the ocarina into the folds of his tunic for safe keeping. Suddenly, there a voice rang out from behind him.

"There you are Link. I was wondering where you ran off to."

"Hello, Mr. Shigeru." Malon said. Shigeru grabbed his nephew by the shoulder.

"Good morning, Malon. Link, it's probably about time to say goodbye. You still need to get ready. Imagine heading to Castle Town in your pajamas!" Link sighed. He had completely forgotten to change. Koji's interruption had delayed that from happening.

Link looked over to his friends. I'll see them soon, he promised. He tried to think of what to say. He wanted something good. All he could make out was "Well, goodbye."

"Goodbye Link." Malon responded.

"Have fun and don't die." Koji added. I'll try not to. He placed his hand over the ocarina, before turning around, reluctantly following his uncle back to the house.

"All you ready yet?" Shigeru asked. Link was sitting on his bed, pulling on a pair of boots. They were mementos of his father, as was the green tunic he had put on. According to his uncle, it was what the hero of legend, who had destroyed the evil god and established Hyrule, wore. It's not that comfortable, he thought, or practical. He had very reluctantly put the outfit on, and wore a suit of chain mail on underneath.

"There. Done." Link said, pulling the boot up all the way. He noticed his uncle rummaging through a drawer. "What are you looking for?"

"This." His uncle pulled a faded, vaguely triangle shaped piece of green cloth out of the drawer. "Your father wore this in combat. I think he said if gave him courage." He tossed it to Link, who looked at it with disgust.

"What is it?" he asked, curious.

"It's a hat. Put it on."

"It looks ridiculous."

"I realize that, and don't care. It's part of the outfit. Put. It. On."

The hat was, for one, old. It also smelled like it hadn't been washed in seventeen years, which, in all honesty, was probably the truth. Opening it revealed it to be a very floppy cone. He put it on his head. A bit small, he thought. The hat flopped down. Probably supposed to do that.

There was a knock on the door. "That'd be Grog. You ready yet?" Shigeru asked.

"Grog? Why?" Link knew Grog. Everyone did. He was the village loner, a pale, sickly man who spent his days sitting underneath a tree. Not even his own father cared for him, and thus he hated people. "Why would he be here?"

"He's taking us. Apparently he has a carriage and a horse. And needs money." Shigeru shrugged, opening the door. There was Grog, leaning up against the door frame.

"Are you ready yet, or not?" he asked, rudely.

"Yes we are. Link, get in. I'll be right out."

Slowly, Link walked out off the house and towards the raggedy old carriage. Why couldn't we just walk? He asked himself. The carriage looked ready to fall apart if it hit a tiny bump. Just like its owner. Link took one last good look at the house he had spent so much off his life in. Sure, it had its problems. The shutters here falling apart, for one, and the inside was a bit cramped, but it was home. And now, he was leaving. Link got a bit nostalgic just thinking about it.

Grog didn't seem to care. "Well? Get in!" he snapped impatiently. Link seated him self in the back of the carriage, followed quickly by his uncle. Shigeru held a large shield under his arm. Soon, they were on the way, the house, crossroads, and the village itself soon lost in the dust.

Link took a minuet to notice his surroundings, which consisted of the large, rocky hills and mountains of the Death Mountain chain. The road followed the gorge, which slowly got smaller the farther out they got. Eventually, the mountains and hills gave way to lush green fields dotted with multicolor flowers. The river sat by their side, a rich, dense forest on the opposite bank. All the while, the gleaming white stone of the far distant castle got closer.

After half an hour of riding, Link got up the courage to ask his uncle about the shield.

"I was wondering when you would ask. This was your father's, and our father's before that. Legend has it the hero of old wielded this shield and that it was crafted for him by the legendary thunder dragon himself. You are descended from that hero."

Link looked at his uncle is disbelief. "How come you've never told me this before?" he asked.

"It was never the right time. Tradition has it that it shall be handed down from father to son on their seventeenth birthday. I take this responsibility now. The shield is yours."

Shigeru handed the shield over to Link, who took a minuet to gander in its appearance. The shield itself was blue, surrounded by a silver border. In the center was an image of a great red bird with its wings spread wide. And above that, was the unmistakable shape of the Triforce. The three triangles appeared to be gold, and were flanked by two silver swirls.

"I… I don't know what to say." Link stammered, marveled by the design. Shigeru grabbed Link's shoulder, gripping it tightly.

"Then don't say anything. Besides, I think we're almost there." As if on cue, the carriage stopped. The door flung open, and Grog stood there, waiting.

"Ahem." He coughed.

"Oh, right. Your pay." Shigeru dug around in his pocket until he found a small sack. He opened it up, and pulled out two small gems; one red, one blue. "There. Twenty-five rupees. Don't go spending them all in one place."

"Humph. Whatever." Grog mumbled, before mounting the carriage and riding off.

"How will you get back?" Link asked his uncle.

"I'll just walk. To be honest, I only hired him because Mutoh asked me to make his kid do something. He refused to do carpentry, so this was the next best option. He only does one way though. At the very least Mutoh will be happy. I hope." He took a look at the city walls, which towered over Link and Shigeru. The great wooden eastern gates, which protected the town from monsters, were wide open and inviting. The duo walked in.

Link tried to remember the last time he had been in the town. It had been several years, and a lot had changed. The streets were bustling with life, citizens running from their homes to the market street in the southern part of town. Even in the early morning, people were running everywhere.

As they wandered down the crowded streets, Link couldn't help but notice some of the more interesting stores in town. One store had what appeared to be a large mask over it, another was a large tent located a little ways down a small side street, with a group of screaming girls in front. This town is weird, he thought.

After several minuets of walking, they reached the town square. Four roads led out of the square. The south and east, which they had just come down, was the shopping district. The western road appeared mostly deserted. Link assumed this must be the residential district. The north road led up some steps, before leading down a long path to the castle itself, which towered over the town.

Shigeru guided link through the crowded square to a large fountain in the middle. Leaning upon the fountain, was a man. "Hello, old friend. It's been a while." He said, seemingly directing his focus to Shigeru.

"Same to you, Rusl. How's the family?" Shigeru responded.

"Good. Actually, Uli's pregnant." Rusl looked over to Link. "And this must be Satoshi's son." He said.

"Yes. Rusl, this is Link. Link, Rusl." Shigeru indicated to his friend. "He's going to be your teacher."

At first glance, Link could have mistaken Rusl for some one Shigeru's age, about forty. However, after getting a good look, Rusl seemed quite young, about thirty. He had blond hair, yet strangely his scruffy facial hair appeared black, or at least a very dark brown. He wore a white head band and a tunic, with sandals. A large sword hung on his back.

"Nice to meet you, Link. Shigeru's told me a lot about you. We were friends during the war." Rusl extended his hand, which link gladly shook.

"I trust you know what you're doing?" Shigeru asked.

"Of coarse I do! Shigeru, I've got it from here."

Shigeru gave Link one last encouraging look, before slipping back into the crowd without saying anything. Rusl got up from the fountain. "Link, today begins your training. Just not yet There is someone who would like to meet you first." He began leading Link northward through the crowded square.

"Someone would like to meet me," Link asked. "Who?"

"Why, the King of Hyrule, of coarse!"


End file.
